Jurgen Klopp lifts lid on Liverpool’s recruitment secrets

Exclusive: German opens up on the conversations he has with players before deciding whether to sign them in the book Believe Us: How Jurgen Klopp transformed Liverpool into title winners

Liverpool winger Diogo Jota (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

It was the question widely asked and the conundrum that seemed most difficult to crack.

How could Liverpool significantly add to their attack when Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah were such an explosive, in-sync front three?

A new recruit to make a sizeable contribution to the club’s ambitions of retaining their league title and conquering Europe again would need to possess the high ceiling each of the trio had when moving to Anfield as well as the same hunger to develop into a certified elite player, with one major difference: he’d need to compete for minutes with world-class forwards - among the game’s very best currently.

The transfer target would need to tick the boxes in terms of age, data based on stylistic suitability and attitude, but he would also need to be patient and primed to maximise any and every opportunity.

Enter Diogo Jota. In 10 appearances - only five from the start - the former Wolves man has already accumulated seven goals. His form is unbelievable, his settling on Merseyside seamless despite the complications of a packed schedule disrupted by international breaks and a rise in players testing positive for coronavirus.

How do Liverpool keep getting it so spot in recruitment? The answers can be found in Believe Us: How Jurgen Klopp transformed Liverpool into title winners.

In the chapter ‘Method Over Money,’ there is an in-depth look at the club’s recruitment, plus an exploration of the key decision-making relationship between Klopp, sporting director Michael Edwards and FSG president Mike Gordon.

In the below exclusive extract from ‘Mentality Monsters’ captain Jordan Henderson heaps praise on the construction of a quality squad filled with quality characters, while Jurgen Klopp details the conversation he has with new recruits.

“I think through our team back to front, with the kids we have too, and the club have done an outstanding job with recruitment and the academy,” the captain says.

“There is so much hunger in the squad and a focus to improve. The desire to evolve and show how good they are, to show the world how good Liverpool are, is so strong.

“Players that have come have not only been top footballers, but they’ve been really, really good people. And I’m so lucky to be part of a team like this, that is so close.

“And I think that makes a difference on the pitch. When the manager came in, he encouraged us to do more things together away from football and that was so smart.

“When you know someone personally rather than just coming in to training every day and then going home, it tightens the bond.”

This is by design. When Liverpool are convinced about a player through meticulous homework that breaks down – both analytically and in terms of gathering references – how well they handle setbacks and stretches as far as how they interact with non-football staff, Klopp meets them to get a personal feel for who they are and how they’d fit in.

The manager explains the process: “We get as much knowledge about the boys as we can. But the most important sign of their character is actually the way they play football before we work together, because that’s what attracts us.

“That’s why we are thinking about them. It’s their skills, yes, but very important is the character they show on the pitch.

“It’s really rare that you get to see a completely honest football player on the pitch and then you meet him and think, ‘What kind of idiot is that?’

“I can’t remember that really happening. So, you know a lot before you meet the player, but then you get some vital, final information when you see him. What has the same importance is they get a lot of information about me and our working style.

“And that’s why these kinds of talks are so important because we make a real agreement in them. I tell the boys, ‘We are sitting here together because we want to sign you and you want to join us, which is all great, but from now on, less than 100 per cent is not allowed.’

“I know it’s only words, but it is the basis for us. From time to time, I remind the boys about our agreement. The target is to reach your highest point as often as possible individually and we throw it together and then it must be pretty much an explosion. And I really like that. So, on my side, I agree to help them 100 per cent and we share responsibility for their future.”

Believe Us: How Jurgen Klopp transformed Liverpool into title winners is released on November 12. You can pre-order it from Amazon here smarturl.it/believeus and it is available worldwide